Department of Dairy Science
Blacksburg, VA 24061
DA I RY P I P E L I N E
Volume 38, No. 4 May 2017
Have You Ever Watched Cows Eat?
—Kevin Spurlin Extension Agent, Grayson County; spurlink@vt.edu
I am blessed to have the perspective of both
nutritionist and dairyman when it comes to
feeding dairy cows. I have formulated ra-
tions for other farms, and been up in the
wee hours of the morning mixing and feed-
“Observe and ing the TMR on the home farm. Watching
cow behavior is one skill I have developed
manage cow
that has made me a more effective nutri-
feeding tionist and dairyman. Have you ever
watched cows eat? It may be about as en-
behavior to tertaining as watching grass grow, but what
ensure the you may learn could be invaluable.
Dr. Trevor DeVries of the University of
diet properly Guelph has researched cow feeding behav-
formulated, ior extensively. He states that cows on pas-
ture will spend about 8 to 9 hours grazing
mixed and during the day. During these grazing events,
delivered is cows are highly selective in what they con-
sume, yet also highly consistent in what
actually the they consume. A cow’s ability to be con-
same one sistent results in more stable digestion
throughout the day.
consumed by In comparison, TMR-fed cows often in con-
the cow.” finement housing such as pack or freestall
barns spend about half as much time eating
(3 to 5 hours/day) as compared to grazing
herds. They also eat about 1.5 to 2 times as
much total dry matter per day. In essence,
cows in confinement eat larger meals fast-
er, and less frequently. The tendency of
TMR-fed cows toward “slug feeding” neces-
sitates a close look at feed bunk manage-
ment and diet formulation to avoid prob-
lems caused by this type of feeding behav-
ior. To do this, watch cows eat!
First, pay attention to when cows eat. Dr.
DeVries notes that the delivery of new feed
is the primary driver of when cows eat. Milk-
ing is often a secondary driver. Combining
milking and feeding events at the same
time is very stimulating to cow feeding be-
havior. By staggering feeding times and
milking times, a farmer can spread out the
feeding pattern leading to more stable in-
take and a more stable rumen environment.
If this is done, ensure that the feed availa-
540/231-6870 Fax: 540/231-5014
www.vtdairy.dasc.vt.edu
ble at milking is high
quality and plentiful or
the benefit of a stag-
gered feeding is negat-
ed. Pushing up feed,
while important, is less
of a stimulating factor
than we may have previ-
ously thought. If some
cows are not eating at
these important times
such as milking or feed
delivery, ask “why not?”
Is feed bunk space lim-
iting access to some cows? If a few cows are
not eating at those critical times, are they
sick or in heat?
Second, are cows sorting excessively? Cows
have a tendency to be selective. Cows that
push their noses into a large pile of feed and
start making a circle are pushing fibrous
feeds to the edge to gain access to delec-
table morsels at the bottom. Smaller portion
sizes at each feeding will limit this activity
somewhat. Excessive sorting impairs diges-
tion of the cow doing it, but that behavior also
changes the diet consumed by the next cows
into that spot. In pens of cows with severe
cases of sorting behavior, two cow-side symp-
toms include variable manure consistency
and variable body condition at the same
stage of lactation indicating that all cows in
the pen are not consuming the same diet.
Dr. DeVries advises that proper nutritional
management allows cows to eat a ration bal-
anced to meet their requirements, and do so
in a manner that is good for the cow. Two crit-
ical steps to achieve those goals is 1) provide
access to the formulated diet throughout the
day by taking advantage of cow feeding trig-
gers, and 2) minimize competition at the feed
bunk through proper bunk design and stock-
ing density. Observe and manage cow feeding
behavior to ensure the diet properly formulat-
ed, mixed and delivered is actually the same
one consumed by the cow.
Page 2 Volume 38, No. 4

Upcoming Events Gestational heat stress: considering the prolonged effects on dairy calves
—Nicole Steele, Ph.D. Student with Dr. Christina Petersson-Wolfe, milk@vt.edu
See VTDairy for details.
The negative effect of heat stress on milk pro- fects on daughter performance
duction in dairy cows has been researched for in a series of studies from the
May 10-15, 2017
Low stress dairy handing
many years, but there is now growing interest University of Florida. The final
workshop in how heat stress during conception and ges- two months of gestation are crit-
tation affects the subsequent health, growth ical as the fetus gains approxi-
May 13-14, 2017 and productivity of calves. The extent and du- mately 60% of its total birth
Show Like a Pro Workshop
ration of heat stress varies by geographical weight (Bauman and Currie, 1980). Fetal
Frederick, MD
location, but is particularly common in Florida, growth was compromised in cows that were
May 15, 2017 Georgia and Texas, and certainly can be seen heat stressed in the 45 days prior to calving,
Hokie Cow Classic during the summer months in Virginia. This demonstrated by the lighter birth weights of
Blacksburg Country Club review will consider recent studies from these their calves, relative to those from dams that
May 20, 2017 states that investigated the future perfor- were cooled using fans and sprinklers
Dairy Judging Workout mance of calves born to heat-stressed dams. (Monteiro et al., 2014; 2016). The difference
New Market, VA Heat stress occurs when a cow’s heat load in birth weight could be explained by shorter
May 27, 2017 exceeds her capacity to dissipate heat. Most gestation times (by 4-5 days), lower maternal
Breakfast on the Farm heat is lost via the skin; therefore, in times of feed intake, impaired placental function, and
Arbogast Farms heat stress, blood will be redirected to the reduced blood flow to the placenta. In addi-
June 10, 2017 skin to aid heat loss, and away from internal tion, the transfer of immunity via absorption
Franklin County Open Youth organs. For lactating cows, less blood flows to of antibodies in colostrum was impaired in
Livestock Show the mammary gland, and for pregnant cows, calves born to heat-stressed dams, regard-
less blood flows to the uterus and placenta to less of whether they received colostrum
If you are a person with a disability and
support fetal development. The degree of heat sourced from heat-stressed or cooled dams
require any auxiliary aids, services or other
accommodations for any Extension event,
stress exposure for dairy cattle is considered (Monteiro et al., 2014). Data from 5 consecu-
please discuss your accommodation needs as a temperature humidity index (THI). At a tive summers also indicated that maternal
with the Extension staff at your local Exten-
sion office at least 1 week prior to the event. THI of 68, and relative humidity of 50%, cows heat stress negatively affected milk produc-
may experience heat stress and an associated tion and survival in the herd in the first lacta-
drop in milk yield at temperatures as low as tion (Monteiro et al., 2016). Heifers from heat
“Year-round 72°F. -stressed dams produced, on average, 5.1 kg
Year-round calving systems mean that heat milk/d less than those from cooled dams
calving systems
stress is inevitable for many cows during (31.9 ± 1.7 kg milk/d), equating to a total
mean that heat some stage of gestation. In a study using 10 difference of approximately 1,250 kg milk/
years of records (n= 75,000), when cows con- cow during the first 245 DIM.
stress is ceived in summer, their daughter’s milk pro- These studies provide good reasons to con-
inevitable for duction was lower compared with offspring sider the next generation of animals, well be-
that were conceived during winter (Brown et fore they are born. Avoiding exposure to heat
many cows during al., 2015). The difference in milk yield be- stress during the entirety of gestation is diffi-
some stage of tween the daughters of heat-stressed and cult, because gestation length spans three
thermoneutral cows ranged from 82 to 399 kg quarters of the year, and especially as cli-
gestation.” per lactation. Consequently, planning to breed mates become warmer. Therefore, manage-
cows outside of the hot season or utilizing ment strategies to reduce the impact of heat
For more information on Dairy cooling systems might lessen the impact of stress, such as cooling cows with shade and
Extension or to learn about reduced milk production from the daughters fans, provide the most practical way to miti-
current programs, visit us at VT of these cows. gate the lower productivity from the offspring
Dairy—Home of the Dairy Heat stress of cows during late gestation of these cows, setting them up for a success-
Extension Program on the web
at: www.vtdairy.dasc.vt.edu. was also demonstrated to have negative ef- ful first lactation and beyond.
REFERENCES
Bauman, D. E., & Currie, W. B. (1980). Partitioning of nutrients during pregnancy and lactation: a review of mechanisms involving homeostasis and
homeorhesis. Journal of Dairy Science, 63(9), 1514-1529.
Brown, B. M., Stallings, J. W., Clay, J. S., & Rhoads, M. L. (2015). Periconceptional heat stress of holstein dams is associated with differences in
Christina Petersson-Wolfe, Ph.D. daughter milk production and composition during multiple Lactations. PloS one, 10(10), e0133574.
Dairy Extension Coordinator & Monteiro, A. P. A., Tao, S., Thompson, I. M., & Dahl, G. E. (2014). Effect of heat stress during late gestation on immune function and growth perfor-
Extension Dairy Scientist, mance of calves: Isolation of altered colostral and calf factors. Journal of Dairy Science, 97(10), 6426-6439.
Milk Quality & Milking
Management
2017 Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of DASC-98NP
Agriculture, and state and local governments.

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin,
political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia